It's Complicated
by Glistening.Horizon
Summary: Sakura, urged by her friends to move on from Sasuke, decides to do just that with the help of a newly-purchased diary. When Sasuke returns, however, it puts a crimp into her plans. SasuSaku, slight GaaSaku, NejiTen, Saino, ShikaTema, NaruHina
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction, but I want you to be honest with me :3

**1**

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." -Bill Cosby

Sakura highlighted the quote with her favorite pink highlighter and dog-eared the page. Bill Cosby's advice sounded sensible to her, but was he implying that a person like herself was a failure? That her complicated way of life would lead her to ruin?

"Hey, billboard brow! Are you ready for your day off?" shouted Ino's voice. Sakura jumped at the sound of it, hurrying to push her window open. She surveyed the area below, searching for her obnoxiously intuitive friend. She found Ino by her blond hair standing in the midst of a bustling crowd of villagers.

"Hey there, pig!" shouted back Sakura, grinning, "I'll be down in a few!"

"I knew you forgot, forehead! I'm comin' up there!" Sakura blanched. Ino could _not _come into her apartment! It was a mess at the moment, seeing as she'd made the mistake of going drinking with _Naruto _of all people the night previous. She'd stumbled into her apartment, knocking over everything that had the misfortune of simply standing in her path. Sakura hurried to clean the apartment all while fumbling to dress herself in a pair of decent clothes. She heard a knock on the door. Relieved that she'd finished in time, Sakura opened the door with a satisfied expression.

"Jeez, Sakura! Could you be any more of a slowpoke?" whined Ino.

"Could you be any fatter, _pig_?" retorted Sakura. Ino sighed.

"At least I don't have _pink _hair."

"Well at least I'm not a dumb blond," growled Sakura. Their eyes locked in an intense gaze, before they burst out into laughter.

"Let's get going. After all, it would be nice to catch a few sales," suggested Ino.

"I guess," replied Sakura, somewhat uneasy about Ino's prospects for the day. Ino pulled Sakura out from her apartment. Sakura sighed in defeat, locking the door behind her.

"How's the hospital been?" inquired Ino.

"I lost a genin a week ago," admitted Sakura, cringing when she remembered the child's screams as she had died on the cot.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I guess," breathed Sakura, wiping away the beginning of an onslaught of tears, "though it's been busier than usual. I'm glad for a day off."

"I'm sure you are," mused Ino, "so, after we finish shopping what should we do?"

"How about we go back to your place and watch, 'Pride and Prejudice' and, 'Bridget Jones's Diary'?" suggested Sakura.

"Sounds good to me," shrugged Ino, whose eyes lit up at the sight of the mall ahead. "C'MON, FOREHEAD! WE'VE GOT SOME SHOPPING TO DO!" Sakura laughed as Ino pulled her along into the shopping complex, which was empty due to the fact that it was a nice day outside.

"Can we go to Hot Topic?"

"If you go with me to Delia's!"

"How about shoes? Are we shopping for those?"

"Hell to the yes, Saku-chan!" They giggled as they entered the store, heavy rock music blasting. Sakura darted towards the graphic t-shirts, grabbing a few.

"Ino-pig, this'll look good on you!" Sakura threw several shirts in Ino's direction, and Ino caught them, somewhat bewildered. Sakura picked out a pair of fingerless gloves and a wristbands, before going for the skinny jeans. The pair tried on several pairs of clothes, posing in front of the mirror together and taking pictures for facebook. They then went back in, changing into their original pairs of clothes. They ran down the hallway, grinning wildly as they raced one another towards Delia's. They tried on a multitude of clothing, and found leather combat boots, which Sakura intended to buy. Ino, on the other hand, found a pair of brown leather boots she adored.

They paid for their purchases, arms full of bags.

"You wanna get a makeover?" queried Ino, sighing in boredom.

"Alright," shrugged Sakura. Ino grinned evilly, and they entered the salon, scheduling an appointment for later on. They then headed towards the food court, where they found a table and purchased lunch.

"It's so nice not to be eating ramen," joked Ino.

"Believe me, it's a pleasure not be eating that sodium-filled crap," said Sakura with a small, wry smile.

"I heard that Gaara's coming to town in a few days," recalled Ino, "y'know, at the rate you're going, you'll be unmarried and completely and utterly alone in that apartment of yours."

"Shut up, pig!" yelled Sakura, punching Ino in the head. Ino rubbed the area Sakura had struck, before saying with a perfectly serious expression that kind-of-sort-of-maybe scared Sakura,

"I'm not kidding, Sakura. Gaara's clearly shown interest, and it's not like _Sasuke's,_" Sakura flinched at the sound of _his _name, "coming back anytime soon. I mean, if he really cared about any of us, don't you think he would be trying _not _to kill us all off? You've gotta stop dreaming about him, forehead girl, and see what's around you." Shocked, Sakura sat there, frozen for a moment, before rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"I don't know if I can just forget him, Ino-pig," admitted Sakura with an earnest expression, "how do I get over him?"

"Do something. Change something. Be creative," replied Ino casually, putting ketchup on her french fries. Sakura watched her with keen eyes, smiling softly. She would forget her precious _Sasuke-kun _if it was the last thing she did. After their haircuts, manicures, pedicures, and massages were over, the pair retreated to Ino's spacious abode.

"'Pride and Prejudice' and Bridget Jones, here we come!" exclaimed Sakura excitedly. They began watching, "Pride and Prejudice," a movie Sakura connected to, seeing as she'd fallen in love with a less-than-Darcy sort of man whose name she _refused _to even think about. He was Wickham compared to Gaara, a _droolworthy _Darcy. In Sakura's mind, she imagined Gaara playing Mr. Darcy, his sultry voice conveying his love for Elizabeth, herself. Ino broke out the ice cream somewhere in between Darcy's proposal for marriage and Lady Katherine De Burge's speech to Elizabeth about her relationship with Mr. Darcy. The pair of single girls were crying when Elizabeth finally accepted Mr. Darcy's love.

"If only Shikamaru had been as gentlemanly and _perfect _as Mr. Darcy," lamented Ino, wiping her tears away.

"If only _he _could be just a bit more Darcyish," wept Sakura. Ino inserted, "Bridget Jones's Diary," into the DVD player next, and they readied themselves for what they knew was an _amazing _romantic comedy. Sakura laughed when Daniel Cleaver was on the ground and Mark Darcy was leaving the scene of the fight with his business jacket slung over his shoulder.

"Colin Firth is _sexyfine,_" purred Ino. Sakura laughed, leaning her head on Ino's shoulder. By the time the film was over, Ino was snoring loudly. Sakura left the house with her shopping bags quietly, careful not to wake her best friend. On the walk home, Sakura considered the day's events. How was she supposed to simply _move on_? The very two words put together made her feel absolutely dreadful. She needed a way to vent her frustration without causing violence, talk to a silent source about other men than Sasuke, and somehow become _better_.

"Hey, Saku-chan!" Naruto approached her, grinning that lopsided grin of his. Sakura smiled at him.

"Hey, Naru-kun," she greeted him politely.

"Listen, I'm doing some work for the bookstore Ero-Sennin used to run, and they're having a sale on diaries. Please, please, _please _buy one," Naruto pleaded with her, giving her his irresistible puppy-dog eyes.

"Fine," gritted out Sakura, "lead me there." Naruto cheered in victory, leading her forward while chattering nonstop. It was at times like these when she wished for him to die in a ditch far, far away; His catching laryngitis would also suffice for her. When they finally reached the store, Sakura was astonished by the selection of diaries stacked on the shelves. _Maybe this is what I need, _she thought. She explored the store, searching for a diary that would be suitable to her tastes. She traveled towards the back of the store, and her eyes found it: A red diary with pink petals scattered across the cover with a lock attached and a golden key. It was _perfect, _and she couldn't have asked for anything more appropriate for her current situation. She picked it up, examining it. She opened it, flipping through its white, lined pages.

She abruptly closed the diary, before approaching the counter with money in hand. She paid for the diary, which was half-price, leaving the store with Naruto afterwards.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, do you want to finish the day with a visit to the club?" suggested Naruto with a foxy smile.

"Sure," beamed Sakura, "I just need to drop these bags off and get changed."

"I'll meet you at your apartment in twenty minutes then," consented Naruto energetically. Sakura nodded, and they walked towards their respective homes. She set her bags down in her apartment, changing into a red plaid skirt, black tights, her combat boots, a tank top, and a wristband. She then took out the diary, opening it. She furrowed her brows. She couldn't have the key right next to the lock. What if someone found it? She searched for a necklace chain that was unoccupied by a pendant, and eventually found one in her dresser. She ran back towards the diary, ripping the key off of the diary and attaching it to the chain, which she clasped behind her neck. She sat down, taking out the matching pen. She thought for a moment, before beginning to write on the first page.

_Sakura Haruno_

_Age: 16_

_Job: Medical Ninja, Tsunade's Apprentice, Head Medic_

_Favorite Color: Red_

_Best Friends: Ino Yamanaka, Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyuuga, TenTen, and Gaara_

She turned the page, excited.

_July 15, 2010_

_Dear Diary,_

_ Today was my first day off in __ten months__. Tsunade works me to death, and I'm usually happy to oblige the busty, drunken Hokage who just happens to be my master. Well, Ino and I went on a major shopping spree today and it was pretty damn fun. I've decided that I'm going to give up on Sasuke, whose name will not be mentioned after this as to remove him from my regard so much, that, eventually, I will move on to better men, like, say, Gaara. Gaara is sweet and considerate, and did I forget to mention that he's into me? _

_ Well, I'm thinking I might as well give him a chance, seeing as HE won't be coming back to Konoha anytime soon. I got drunk with Naruto last night at the club, and he's coming to pick me up so we can go soon. It's because of Naruto that I found you in his pervy, deceased master's shop. I saw, "the Runaways" yesterday, and I have listened to Cherry Bomb at least fifteen times already. I'm thinking it'll be my new theme song..._

_P.S. Thank you whatever higher power sent Naruto to me tonight. I feel a lot lighter just writing about my problems :) _

Sakura closed the diary, smiling brightly.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" yelled Naruto's voice from below.

"Coming!" called back Sakura, who hurried to leave her apartment, locking the door behind her.

"You look smokin'," he complimented her, his breath tickling her ear. Sakura smirked.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Naruto nii-san." Naruto chuckled at the sound of his nickname.

"Let's go." They walked, arm in arm as they usually did, talking about their day. When they reached the club, Sakura spotted Ino and left Naruto alone with Hinata, who he'd finally realized his love for after his fight with Pain.

"Hey, Ino-pig," smiled Sakura, hugging her friend.

"Billboard brow," acknowledged Ino with a smile, returning the gesture. They sat beside one another, ordering drinks for themselves.

"Where's TenTen?"

"Something about a sparring match with Neji…you know how those two are," smirked Ino, taking a sip of her alcoholic beverage.

"I'm getting over him," Sakura told her friend, "and I'm going to see if Gaara's Mr. Perfect."

"Good luck with that, my foxy friend," giggled Ino.

"How's it going with you? Your love life, I mean." Ino's eyes glanced over at Sai, who was conversing with Naruto with that damned smile on his face, before she turned back to Sakura.

"There's your answer," deadpanned Ino.

"Go get him," smirked Sakura.

"Don't mind if I do." Ino stood, drink in hand as she approached Sai with a flirtatious smile. Sakura sometimes envied Ino's self-confidence, but that was a matter she herself would eventually overcome. "All the Single Ladies," by Beyoncé came on, and Sakura stood, heading to the dance floor with Ino. The pair began to dance to the song, losing themselves in the beat and the darkness of the club, the feeling of freedom as their bodies brushed against those of others, of strangers who held no regard for them whatsoever. When the song ended, Sakura retreated back to the bar with the entire group, all sitting next to one another. They ordered a numerous quantity of sake bottles for the table, and the bartender looked at them as if they were crazy before obliging their request.

"I wonder if they have a microphone around," said Ino.

"Maybe we could do karaoke," suggested Hinata shyly. Naruto's arm was wrapped around her shoulder affectionately, and he nuzzled her neck. She was blushing beet red, and Sakura couldn't help but think that it was a cute scene. Yet at the same time, Sakura wished that she had someone to nuzzle her neck affectionately. She blushed at the thought, before shaking it away and speaking.

"You two are absolutely _adorable _together!" she gushed. Naruto looked up at her with a grin, and Hinata smiled.

"Thank you," she said.

"Speaking of couples, Ugly, are you _ever _going to find yourself a man whose eyes don't burn out of their sockets when they spot you?" inquired Sai, smiling as if his comment was the most polite thing a person had ever managed to say aloud.

"SHUT UP!" shouted Sakura, punching Sai across the room before sitting with a satisfied smile.

"That'll take a while to heal," winced Ino.

"That jerk deserved it, though. Ino, admit that that was funny!" whined Naruto.

"I don't think it was," replied Ino briskly. At that opportune moment, their order of sixteen bottles of sake arrived. Sakura was the first to take a glass of it and gulp it down, wiping her lips afterwards. The group indulged in the liquid, taking as much as their sanity allowed. Only thirty glasses later, Sakura's vision was blurred and dizzied, and she called the bartender for a microphone, her voice portraying the perfect picture of drunkenness.

"Here you go, miss," he said. She snatched it from his hands, standing abruptly on the table and turning on the microphone. She began to sing, "Cherry Bomb," by the Runaways, and the entire club was eyeing her skeptically, some even singing along with her off-key voice. Hinata joined in moments later, and Naruto was eyeing his girlfriend with unabashed, lustful eyes. Ino then decided to partake in the song, and Sai's eyes refused to leave her figure; a behavior Sakura didn't miss. She sang song after song, until she began to sing, "All By Myself," by Jenny Thursoe. This song was something akin to Sakura's single status theme song. Hinata stepped down for that song, choosing to make out with her boyfriend instead as the couple left the bar.

"Ino," came Sai's husky voice, "you're not all by yourself." He captured her lips in a kiss, and Ino looked completely shocked. Sakura, panting, suddenly lost her balance. Everything blacked out as she fell off the table.

The next morning, Sakura awakened to find herself sporting a mind-searing headache. She took a few Advils, retreating back to her bed. She called in sick, and Tsunade, as often drunk as she was, understood. However, Sakura knew that she wouldn't have a day off for months if Tsunade felt she was slacking off. Sakura fumbled about, searching for any signs of who had dropped her off at her apartment. She found a post-it note reading:

_Sakura,_

_ You passed out stone-drunk last night after singing, "All by Myself," that Bridget Jones song you love. I hope you're happy with your decision to go binge-drinking repeatedly. Sai and I are together now! I can't wait for you to see Gaara again. Hell, the whole group is excited to see what happens (except for Neji and Shikamaru...and Lee, for that matter) Sai carried you back here last night, being the sweetheart he is-_

Sai's handwriting commenced from there.

_Ugly, in short, get over Sasugay. Seriously. _

Sakura laughed loudly, falling over in her bed. She took out her diary, snuggled up in her sheets, and began to write.

_July 16, 2010_

_Dear Diary, _

_ Things are changing. Last night, I went to the club with Naruto. I ended up hanging out with the whole group, and now I'm dealing with a nasty hangover. I sang a multitude of songs, the two I remember being, "Cherry Bomb," and, "All By Myself." Sai kissed Ino after that song! Things are getting better, and I'm overcoming my obsession with HIM gradually. HE doesn't matter right now; the things that matter are the people who've stuck by me and deserve my love for what they've done. _

Sakura paused, before continuing.

_Gaara deserves everything I have, especially since he helped me with my medical work last time he visited. To top it off, he got Lee to back off last time, took me out to an amazing dinner, and didn't get angry when I rejected him, though he did look somewhat hurt. I'm going to give him a chance, no matter what! SHANNARO! _

And Sakura stopped writing, succumbing to the strange urge to sleep instead.

"Sakura!" Gaara, clad in a panda suit, was skipping towards her with a giant, rainbow lollipop in hand.

"Gaa-chan!" Sakura was dressed as a cherry.

"I love you, my cherry," he gushed, hugging her with his cute paws.

"I love you too, Panda-chan," she replied, blushing. Suddenly, lightning crackled across the sky and Gaara looked up with a horrified expression.

"No! It can't be!" he exclaimed, absolutely terrified. Sakura buried herself in his arms as the lightning hurtled down from the heavens towards the once-cheerful Earth. A dog made of lightning barked at the despairing couple, before Sakura heard him say,

"Sakura, what are you doing out this late?" In _HIS _voice.

"Sasuke-kun, don't go! I love you!" she begged him.

"I thought you loved me." Gaara's lip was trembling and large tears dribbled down his face. Sakura looked from male to male, stricken with confusion.

Sakura awoke, blinking. What on Earth was wrong with her?


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I'd like to know how I'm doing so far...and I want to improve :) If you could tell me what I'm doing wrong and what I'm doing right, I'd be extremely grateful.

**2**

Sakura awoke the next day, slamming her fist down on the alarm clock before rolling out of bed. She dressed, shoved on a pair of shoes, ate a quick breakfast, and dashed out the door, closing it behind her. She jogged down the deserted streets of Konoha, her beloved hometown, admiring the sight of it so early in the morning. The crisp, cool air whipped at her rosy cheeks and she was glad for the fuzzy hoodie she'd thrown on before leaving her apartment. She needed the exercise; it helped her to think.

Her thoughts were mostly revolving around the peculiar dream she'd had the night before. It was obvious that its message was that she was confused between Gaara and Sasuke as her love interests, but why had it revealed itself in chibi form? Shrugging nonchalantly, she entered the hospital. Ino approached her, walking at Sakura's side, both of their paces rushed.

"Sakura, there's a patient in room three-fifty-six who requested you," she informed Sakura breathily.

"Alright. By the way, that was a cute note you gave me." Sakura winked at her friend, who blushed slightly pink. Sakura entered the locker room, changing into the required scrubs. Ino was now off work, but Sakura's day had only begun. In a sense, Sakura did envy Ino. However, she was relieved to be returning to work, where she felt that she was of use to others. _Damn me and my self-esteem issues, _she thought angrily. She entered the hospital room, her cheery façade in place.

"Hey there," she greeted the patient, shutting the door behind her, clipboard in hand. Then she saw the patient. She blinked once. She blinked twice, just to make sure it was really him that was there. "Gaara?"

"Nice to see you too," he deadpanned with a slight smirk.

"What're you doing here?" she laughed. "In the hospital, I mean. As a patient." She cleared her throat in what she thought was a professional manner. He shifted in his chair, before looking her in the face.

"You see, when I entered Konoha for the first time in several weeks or so, I happened to run into a certain boisterous blond that we both know. He dropped his ramen on the ground, and I tripped over a cluster of noodles."

"That's too clumsy to be the Gaara I know," commented Sakura skeptically.

"I'm glad you think so highly of me," he chuckled.

"Well, since it's nothing serious, I'm going to go treat a patient who _actually _needs help."

"Anything I can help with?" he asked her. Unlike most people, Sakura knew where to look to see hints of emotion: His eyes. Most people were too frightened to look him in the eyes. There, she saw an eager twinkle. She smiled.

"We'll see, Gaa-chan."

"I don't want you overtiring yourself like you did last time," Gaara told her, an edge of concern in his voice.

"If I do, I'll have Ino call for you," Sakura assured him politely.

"After your shift's over, would you want to go and eat something with me?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Alright then. I'll pick you up at…"

"Oh, my shift ends at nine o'clock tonight."

"Nine-thirty it is then." He waved at her briefly before taking his leave. Sakura couldn't help but allow a big, cheesy smile to overcome her face. _YES! YES! I DID IT! SHANNARO! _

The day proved to be busier than usual, and Sakura was allowed a maximum of three seconds between each patient.

"G'morning, _nurse,_" greeted an old man, wiggling his eyebrows flirtatiously. Sakura ran past him, rolling her eyes. He was a regular in the hospital, and if he didn't quit his advances, she would _make _him quit. The next patient was a pregnant woman who Sakura took several blood samples from, before completing the checkup as quickly as possible as to progress to the next patient as quickly as she could. By her break time, Sakura was honestly rather dizzy from chakra exhaustion, and all of the patients and their various reasons for visiting had blurred together in her befuddled mind. She changed back into her street clothes, going to a small barbecue restaurant to eat and write in her diary, an activity she had been looking forward to for a while now.

_July 17, 2010_

_ Dear Diary, _

_It was a bit overwhelming to go back to work after two days off…the old pervert, a regular at the hospital, tried flirting with me as usual. Why me? Well, at least one __good __thing happened. Gaara was my first patient of the day, and he's back in Konoha for a visit! He asked me out to dinner, too, once my shift's over. I'm going back to the hospital in twenty minutes after I finish my barbecue lunch, and I couldn't be more excited to finish up my work. I've got a bunch of paperwork to do, as well…why can't there be a jutsu that does paperwork for you? I had an odd dream last night, where Gaara and I were chibis. He was dressed in a panda suit, and I was dressed as a cherry. We were all lovey-dovey, and then a lightning dog, HIM, came down from the sky and repeated his final words to me from when I was twelve. I was torn between the two in my dream. That won't do. I don't want to love HIM anymore. I'm determined to forget HIM and fall for the guy who's so obviously right for me: Gaara. _

_ I don't want to be single anymore. It's bad enough seeing Naruto and Hinata together. Neji and TenTen are going steady, as are Shikamaru and Temari, of all pairings. Me? I'm the single gal. _

Rock Lee sat across from Sakura, sidling into the seat quietly as to attempt not to disturb her.

"Sakura?" He tapped her hand. She looked up, noticing him. She shut her diary, embarrassed.

"Oh, hey, Lee."

"Listen. I need to tell you something, because I owe my youthful love an explanation for not loving you anymore as youthfully as I used to."

"Go on."

"I like a guy from the Sand village," admitted Rock Lee shyly.

"Who?" gasped Sakura.

"A guy I met named Daisuke. We're together now!" yelled Rock Lee with stars in his eyes. Sakura smiled and nodded, eyebrows raised disbelievingly. "Do you approve, my youthful blossom?"

"Yes, you have my approval," grimaced Sakura. Rock Lee skipped joyfully out of the barbecue restaurant. Sakura reopened her diary.

_As if to spite me, the heavens just sent Rock Lee to me, who just told me that he's gay with a guy named Daisuke from the Sand village. Even LEE got a boyfriend. I've got my fingers crossed that things will work out with Gaara. And if they don't…oh god help me if it doesn't work out. I'll write tomorrow ;)_

With that written, Sakura snapped the diary shut, shoving it into her bag and beginning to eat the food she'd ordered without any shame for how rushed she looked. She then shoveled rice into her mouth, paid the check, and left as quickly as she could. Upon her arrival, she changed back into her hospital scrubs, hurrying to her office where she began to sift through the stack of paperwork piled upon the surface of her smooth, mahogany desk. She sat at her desk, glancing over at the picture of team seven that she cherished deeply. She tore her eyes away from it, concentrating on the paperwork instead. _Don't think about him, don't think about him, don't think about him, _she chanted mentally, scribbling her signature across the pages after reading over the paragraphs.

She filled out forms, setting them aside when she finished. She completed the entire pile of paperwork by eight o'clock, when she began to wander the halls of the hospital once again. Only one more hour to go, and she was free to roam Konoha with Gaara. She treated at least six more patients, performing a painstaking surgery on one. When she was done, she was on the verge of collapsing. She took a shower and changed into her street-clothes, before leaving the perimeter of the hospital. She retreated into her apartment, changing into a more suitable pair of clothes. She did her makeup and straightened her hair, before going to meet Gaara outside her apartment.

"Hey there," she smiled.

"Nice to see you're alive," he joked, "I heard you performed a surgery."

"From who?"

"The tooth-fairy. Ino, of course, you dum-dum," he said sarcastically.

"I happen to be a tooth-fairy myself, seeing as I've had so many kids visit with teeth knocked out," laughed Sakura.

"I suppose you would be the one to say that. Where would you want to eat?"

"How about we go to that restaurant that just opened up? It has all sorts of things, including dango," Sakura mentioned to Gaara, nudging his shoulder at the word, "dango."

"I could go for some dango," Gaara consented. He slipped her smaller hand into his own loosely, as if to say that she could push him away if she wanted to. She gripped his hand tighter, beaming up at him. She was so happy in his company that _he _just didn't matter anymore. They sat down at a booth in the restaurant, chatting pleasantly. It was as if Gaara would never run out of sarcastic replies and she would never fail to counter them with her own wit. It was entertaining to her, entertaining enough that all of the work she had done on that day faded into the past, with all her other days of managing the overflowing hospital.

"You need to train more medical ninja," Gaara suggested to her, pouring her a glass of water, "and stop drinking so much."

"With more medical ninja things would become a lot easier. It's just that not many villagers want to be making a living from the hospital. After all, we see some pretty grotesque injuries every day, seeing as we mainly treat ninja. And drinking helps me out when I've had a hard day," replied Sakura, taking a sip of her water.

"There're other ways to deal with having a hard day. Say, venting through training, writing it down, or talking to someone. I'm sure you have _plenty _of people to talk to," Gaara said earnestly, taking a bite of his sushi.

"I guess you're right," decided Sakura, finishing her entreé.

"Let's face it, Saku-chan. I'm always right," he jested. Sakura smirked.

"Really? I happen to recall when you were _wrong, _when you tried CPR on me-"

"Shut up," hissed Gaara, visibly embarrassed, "that was a long time ago!"

"That was a month ago," Sakura deadpanned.

"W-whatever," surrendered Gaara, his arms crossed. He looked adorable in that position. Well, to her, anyway. Gaara paid the check, being the _Darcyish _gentleman he was, and walked her home. When they arrived, he asked her the question she'd been fantasizing about for the past few weeks:

"Has your answer to the question I asked last time changed, by any chance?"

"Yes," she whispered. She stood on the tips of her feet and kissed him for a few moments. They separated, panting for air.

"Goodnight," he mumbled, blushing.

"Goodnight," she giggled.

Gaara sauntered away, and Sakura noticed a slight spring in his step as he did. She made her way up to her apartment, where she changed into a pair of comfortable pajamas and promptly turned on the television. She watched, "Eclipse," before going to bed. Although the entire Twilight saga was cheesy and Bella needed to grow a spine and rebel against Edward, it was like comfort food to Sakura. Although it didn't exactly taste phenomenal, it hit the spot. She went to bed afterwards, excited for the next day.

She awoke to the sound of her alarm clock as usual, disgruntled by the shrill sound. She dressed and followed her morning routine before jogging to the hospital as she always did. She was feeling better than ever. No hangover, no drama, no nightmares about _him_. She had a boyfriend who cared about her. Simply for having that, she was overjoyed. She would find Mr. Perfect eventually. Maybe it would be Gaara, maybe not. She wouldn't stop until she found him, though. The day ran as it had the day before. She visited patient after patient, the transition between each lasting less time as the day progressed. The piles of paperwork slowly gathering on her desk were relentless, and by the time she finished, it was pitch-black outside. And she still had more patients to visit.

She was forced to work a double shift towards the end of the day. She knew she was the only one who could do a lot of the things required to help the patients. As usual, the old pervert hollered after her,

"Anything planned today, _nurse_?" However, on that day, Sakura decided that she had finally had enough. She strolled towards him with a cheery smile on her face.

"Try flirting with me one more time or stare at my ass and I will send you to the emergency room," she threatened him before walking away. The old man, frightened, remained silent afterwards. By the time she was finished with her work it was three in the morning. She went home, her chakra depleted. On the way home she noticed shadows darting about. Sakura was careful to stay away from the shadows which could've been perceived as a threatening stalker of some sort. When she reached her apartment, she breathed a sigh of relief, going to sleep shortly afterwards.

The next day, however, things didn't go according to routine. Someone was prodding her shoulder.

"Sakura-chan!" Sakura turned over in her bed, looking up at Naruto. "We have a meeting. C'mon!" Sakura nodded groggily, wiping the grit out of her eyes and yawning complacently. Dark circles lined her eyes from lack of sleep, and Naruto left the apartment to give her the privacy she needed to get ready. Sluggishly, she completed her morning routine before leaving the safety and comfort of her apartment to go with Naruto to the training area.

When they arrived, Sakura was sure she was going to pass out. Her forehead was burning up and her head was throbbing. She sat on the grass, inhaling oxygen.

"Sakura-chan, you don't look so well," observed Naruto.

"I'm fine," she grunted stubbornly, standing.

"And I thought Naruto was an idiot." Sakura's eyes widened. _No…it can't be him…_she thought, trembling with shock. She slowly raised her eyes and found herself staring at her former teammate, Sasuke Uchiha.

"Shit," she whispered. Sai chose that opportune moment to arrive on the scene.

"Dickless, Ugly," he acknowledged the pair. Sasuke glanced over at Sai disinterestedly.

"That's Sai. He's your replacement," Naruto told him with a grin as if the news was supposed to cause Sasuke to jump for joy. However, his reaction was quite the opposite. He simply brushed past Naruto, leaving the training area with a group of strangers. Naruto frowned, confused. "What did I do wrong, Sakura-chan?"

"When did he get back?" gritted out Sakura, fists clenched.

"Last night-" began Naruto.

"I'm dreaming," she told herself, "this isn't real. Why would he come back _now_, even when he hasn't finished his quest for vengeance?"

"'Cause last night I sensed his chakra and beat him up in an alleyway. I think you passed us," Naruto told her bluntly. Sakura fainted from both her raging fever and shocked.

"Jeez, it's when I see _you _here as a patient that I know something's up," came Tsunade's voice. Sakura came to, looking up at her sensei with an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, sensei."

"Get up. You've got work to do." Sakura nodded. When the day was over at four in the evening, Sakura was ecstatic. She had so much time on her hands! She wrote an entry in her diary explaining all that had occurred before she sought out Gaara. It wouldn't do for him not to know about Sasuke's arrival.

"HE WHAT?" bellowed Gaara. Sakura flinched. He calmed himself, sitting back down at their table. "I'm sorry, I'm just surprised. Why would he come back here?"

"I have no idea," replied Sakura, "there isn't anything particularly fascinating to him here unless he plans to destroy Konoha from the inside out."

"He's having a hearing tomorrow, too," said Naruto, "mind if Hina-chan and I sit with you two? It'll be a double date!" Hinata waved at Sakura, who returned the gesture.

"Sure," shrugged Sakura. The pair pulled up two chairs and the four began discussing what lay ahead for Sasuke.

"He hasn't been acting happy to be here at all," sighed Naruto, "his team just came in this morning. One of them is Suigetsu. He has Zabuza's old sword. Then there's Juugo, a curse mark guy. He's big with orange hair. Finally, there's Karin, a total fangirl. I haven't seen one as obsessive her since you, Sakura-chan."

Sakura cringed at the mention of her fangirling days.

"Don't bring that stage up," she begged him.

"Alright, alright," laughed Naruto. The bell at the door rang and Sakura looked away when Sasuke entered with his _team._ They weren't his real team. Sakura and Naruto were. They always had been; Sasuke simply neglected them and treated like dirt was all. Sakura had realized that Sasuke didn't have mutual feelings for them long ago. Naruto, however, couldn't bear to even consider it.

Sasuke glanced over at their table and his eyes clashed with Gaara's. Gaara smirked at Sasuke, whose eyes narrowed in turn.

"Gaa-chan, is something wrong?" inquired Sakura, concerned.

"No, nothing's wrong," he responded, "just a few technical difficulties."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Please review. I would really like to improve as a writer, and your reviews would help me out a lot...

**3**

Sakura had avoided Sasuke as much as she could throughout his stay, however, it was harder to avoid his teammates, who were far more persistent.

"Sakura-san, do you need help carrying your groceries?" inquired Juugo politely.

"Oh, it's alright," laughed Sakura.

"That pile of shit is bigger than you," snickered Suigetsu.

"Shut up," growled Sakura, "or I will drop these groceries and punch you back to that tank where you came from."

"I am Aquaman. You have pink hair. My white hair and Aquaman powers nullify your Superman powers and pink hair," said Suigetsu, childishly sticking his tongue out at Sakura, who was fuming with anger. Oh, how she wished to _punch _him.

_Dear Diary, _

_ Life couldn't be any __**better**__. Notice the emphasis on the last word of that sentence. HE has invaded my life, without even asking if I was okay with his sudden appearance! That impertinent, impudent, jerk-faced, UGLY (I will NOT admit he's good-looking, because that will lead me back into fan-girling), cruel, egotistical, Uchiha! At least he brought a few teammates…I like Suigetsu and Juugo, but Karin? If I weren't trying to emit an air of kindness when I do see him, I would've kicked her into outer space and back. _

_ He brought them back as if to shove it in our faces that he's replaced us. I'm done with him. DONE. Gaara is so kind. He's been so understanding about my feelings on the topic of HIM. Gaara and I don't talk about him much though, because 1) I don't like bogging him down with my "horrible" past and 2) Gaara seems to inwardly fume whenever I mention him. Anyone else sensing a bit of jealousy? Anyway, I'll write later! _

Sakura, Ino, and Hinata met at Sakura's apartment to view a few Korean romantic comedies and more British romances. In their opinion, those two different nationalities had the best sorts of romance stories. In the middle of, "She's on Duty," when No Young and Jane were kissing outside their apartments and all three were, "aw,"ing, Sakura heard her doorbell vaguely ringing. Then an impatient knock.

Sighing frustratedly, Sakura went to the door, unlocking it and opening it. There stood Sasuke Uchiha, staring at her expectantly. Sakura was about to slam the door in his face when he pushed it back open.

"I see you have guests." A smirk played on his lips. Sakura, unbeknownst to the raven-haired avenger, was itching to wipe that smirk right off his face. Forever.

"Yeah, I do. Now will you please leave?" she retorted.

"Not until I talk to you."

"Well then, you can talk to me in hell. Out." She shoved him out of her apartment, but once again, getting him to leave proved troublesome. _No, I'm becoming Shikamaru! _thought Sakura, concentrating once more on the matter at hand.

"The thing is, problems don't get resolved in hell," Sasuke pointed out, leaning on the doorframe with his foot on the bottom of her door to keep her from closing it.

"While I'd love to stay and chat, I really want to see how this movie ends," Sakura scowled, eyes glancing over at the television.

"What movie?"

"Like I said, leave."

"I'll only leave if you meet me at the old training grounds in forty-five minutes." Sakura _hated _his persistence. She didn't want to have any awkward conversations with him. She didn't want to hear him apologize. And her last, most important reason was that she didn't want to risk falling for him again. She had an affectionate, kind boyfriend. She didn't need scum like Sasuke back in her life.

"Fine," growled Sakura. Smug that he'd won the battle, he left. Sakura shut the door behind him. He may have won the battle, but she would win the war. She returned to her place next to Ino, and continued to watch the movie, immersing herself in it as to forget that Sasuke ever visited or existed, for that matter. When the movie finished, Sakura checked the clock. She would have to meet Sasuke in a matter of minutes. "I gotta go," she told Ino and Hinata apologetically.

"And meet _Sasuke-kun_," Ino mocked Sakura. "Make sure you hold your ground!"

"Right," nodded Sakura, leaving her apartment after bidding her friends farewell. She strolled to the training grounds at a leisurely pace, feeling a sense of foreboding with each step she took. If only she could run away from this engagement…She breathed a heavy sigh. She was going to have to listen to what he had to say, or she'd never hear the end of it from Naruto about rejecting Sasuke's attempts at reconciliation. She noticed Sasuke standing on the bridge, leaning over and staring down at the stream below. It was such a nostalgic sight that Sakura half-expected Naruto to yell,

"You're late!" And Kakashi to appear out of nowhere. However, neither of these events occurred, much to Sakura's disappointment.

"Hey," she greeted him nervously. He looked up at her and nodded, translating to, "hey." "Sasuke, what did you want to see me for?"

"Is it so wrong to ask a teammate to hang out?" inquired Sasuke flatly. Sakura slapped her forehead.

"Let's just get straight to the point. Why did you call me out here?"

"You think I want to fight?" Sasuke's eyebrows were raised. "I asked you to come here because I wanted to see how you were doing."

"A bit talkative today, aren't you?" observed Sakura, leaning over the bridge next to him, a safe distance of three feet away from him.

"Hn." Sasuke sighed. "Look, I'm sorry-"

"I can't listen to this," Sakura told him, standing up straight, "not now."

"Then when will you?"

"When I decide to let you talk to me again. When I decide that you're worth keeping around," retorted Sakura. She was about to turn away when Sasuke grabbed her wrist.

"So you think I'm not worth your time?"

"Not right now." Sasuke let her go, watching as she walked away. His mouth set into a grimace. She always had been annoying.

"I don't know what to do," Sakura admitted to Gaara, who was watching her with a bored expression.

"Sakura, frankly, I'm growing tired of giving you advice about what to do about Sasuke. Call me when you want to do something that doesn't involve him," Gaara drawled out, standing and exiting the hospital cafeteria. Sakura ran a hand through her hair, biting her lip. Sakura had listened to him talk about his apprentice, Matsuri half the time they had been eating together. Why had he suddenly become so cruel when she started talking about her issues with Sasuke? He of all people knew that she had given up on _him_. Sakura realized that she was now thinking using _his _name. That was a step backwards in her campaign to forget _him_ and move on.

When Sakura went to visit Hinata, who'd called her in the middle of her shift, she wasn't expecting Hinata to be beaming with happiness, or Naruto to have his arm around Hinata's shoulder, grinning. She wasn't expecting the whole, rookie twelve to be there, either.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked Hinata, excited.

"Naruto and I are engaged!" exclaimed Hinata, hopping in place and giggling. Naruto watched his _fianceé _with a tender expression.

"How did you get Hyuuga Hiashi-san to agree to it?" inquired Sakura.

"I attended a lot of dinner parties and was on my best behavior. It was all worth it," Naruto told her with a happy grin. Sakura bounced around along with Hinata, genuinely happy for her friends. Then she felt a pair of eyes glued to her back. She turned and saw Sasuke conversing with TenTen. How odd. Sasuke and TenTen had never been close before. Maybe they were flirting! TenTen did go for quiet, prodigal ninjas after all. What about Neji? Sakura's thoughts went into overdrive.

She quieted her thoughts, assuring herself that she _wasn't _jealous, nor was Sasuke flirting with TenTen. They were simply talking, that was all. Considerably calmer, Sakura found Gaara in the crowd of well-wishers. However, Gaara's expression was far from pleased when their eyes met. Sakura was confused. What reason did he have to loathe her? She approached him.

"Gaa-chan, what's wrong?"

"Don't call me that," growled Gaara, "I'm sick of _this_." Sakura raised her eyebrows.

"Why?"

"Because Matsuri's ten times better than you will ever be, bitch." Sakura lost her cool when Matsuri sneered at her, glued to Gaara's arm. She kicked Gaara to the floor and smirked down at him.

"If I'm a bitch, that makes you a manwhore," countered Sakura, kicking Gaara in the area where it hurts. He howled in pain as she turned on her heel and left him at the mercy of the amused partygoers. Sakura pushed past person after person, biting her lip to stop the tears from brimming in her eyes. She had actually been foolish enough to believe that Gaara actually cared.

_Dear diary, _

_ I am giving up men. They are far too troublesome to keep around, and when they say they care, they really don't. I am GLAD to be rid of Gaara, because it's taught me a lesson: All the men who're interested in me are liars. After all, at least HE was honest about what he thought of me. They all must be after me because of my reputation as Tsunade's apprentice, intent on using me for their own gains. I've had it up to here with men! Hinata was lucky. Naruto's a good guy. Ino's lucky. Sai is a gentleman, even though he fails to understand any social concepts. Temari's lucky. She has a genius boyfriend by the name of Shikamaru, the nicest guy ever. TenTen's lucky. She has Neji, a funny, sarcastic, understanding boyfriend. Me? I'm unlucky. I've had an unrequited love and a love that I thought was working. God, I'm such an idiot. _

_PS- Send another suitor my way, fate, and I WILL MURDER YOU WITH A FREAKING AXE! :3 _

Sakura slammed her diary shut, falling onto her bed. She was angry. So angry that she could wipe out an entire forest. With that idea in mind, she dressed and went out to the training grounds, determined to unleash all of her anger on the unfortunate foliage. She yelled as she punched straight through a tree, causing several trees to fall in a domino effect. Panting, she realized that her knuckles were bloody. She paid no heed to the pain, choosing to kick straight through boulders, use a chakra scalpel to slice through branches, flip into the air by use of the trees, and continue to destroy the wildlife of the area.

"And you say that I'm training-obsessed." Sakura whirled around to face - Big surprise - Sasuke.

"No, I'm just angry," replied Sakura in a sugar-coated voice, "Now will you leave me alone? Or I'll object you to my wrath as well."

"Try me." Sakura charged towards him, sidestepping when he aimed a kick to her face and kicking his leg out from underneath him. He backflipped, skidding backwards.

"You've improved a bit, Sakura." Sakura looked at him. She couldn't train with him. It didn't feel…right. Finally submitting to her exhaustion, she yawned. Sasuke approached her, lifting her into his arms.

"Wait, what the-" began Sakura.

"Shut it," interjected Sasuke, his cheeks pink. Sakura smiled at his change in complexion. He let her down at her apartment door.

"You're getting back into my good graces. But you're not at the point where I'll let you apologize," Sakura told him. Sasuke looked away, ignoring her statement. He walked away, hands stuffed in his pockets. Sakura watched him go, seeing the younger version of him in his place for a split second. She shook her head. No, he wasn't the same person she'd fallen in love with as a child.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Yeah, I've been working pretty darn hard XD

**4**

"Ohayo, Naruto, Sasuke!" greeted Sakura cheerily. She noticed Sai's lack of presence, and wondered where he was. Naruto approached her before putting his arm around her shoulder. They leaned forward secretively, their backs facing Sasuke.

"You showed Gaara who's boss last night," snickered Naruto. Sakura's face turned beet red at the sentence's other meaning. Naruto's eye twitched. "Damn, I'm not even that pervy, Sakura-chan!" Sakura giggled, burying her head into his shoulder.

"Thanks, Naruto," smiled Sakura.

"It's nothing. In fact, I'm proud of you. I thought he was better than that, but alas, he'll never be good enough for Konoha's Cherry Blossom," sighed Naruto dramatically.

"Never," mumbled Sakura, "at the rate I'm going, there'll never be a guy for me."

Sakura broke from the huddle.

"Ohayo. Sorry I'm late," Sai apologized.

"Late? For what?" deadpanned Sasuke.

"Alright, everybody! I have news. I'm giving up on no-good, undeserving _men_, and I will remain single to the end of my days and become a crazy cat lady!" announced Sakura to her disbelieving teammates. Sai blinked. Sasuke quirked an eyebrow. Naruto gawked.

"Shut your mouth, Naruto, or a bug'll fly in," snapped Sakura, arms folded across her chest.

"So…does that mean you're deciding to be lesbian?" inquired Sai as if it were a very common meaning to Sakura's previous statement.

"Hell no! I'm just giving up on the ideal of true love, that's all," remarked Sakura.

"Greetings, everyone." Kakashi poofed into being upon the bridge. "What's this I hear about Sakura giving up on men?"

"You heard right," muttered Naruto.

"Sasuke, wanna spar?" offered Sakura. Sasuke continued to stare off into the distance as if he hadn't heard her. "Sasuke?" she tried again, in a softer voice. He didn't even look her way, choosing to challenge Naruto instead. She watched his departure, frozen to her spot. Sai looked after the pair longingly. He must've felt replaced by Sasuke as Naruto's rival.

"Shall we?" beamed Sai. Sakura nodded, walking alongside him.

"Sai-kun, what's wrong?" inquired Sakura.

"Ino…she told me to leave, and that if I ever asked her out again, I'd better have my emotions in order," recounted Sai.

"Ino wouldn't say something like that unless she was really upset. What happened?" asked Sakura, dodging a punch. She began an onslaught of punches. In between dodges, Sai answered.

"Yesterday…I…told her to stop…focusing so much…on her image…all the time."

"Why'd you say that? Ino loves dolling herself up every day! It's her hobby!" pointed out Sakura, creating an enormous crater with an axe kick.

"Because Ino doesn't have to look her best around me. I like her just as she is," Sai told Sakura expressionlessly. The two stopped fighting.

"Did you tell her that?"

"She didn't let me."

"If she'd let you say that, then she would've really fallen in love with you," Sakura told him with a sorrowful expression. No one of the male species had ever said something of that touching nature to Sakura. She'd always fantasized about Sasuke saying something like that to her when they were younger, but now she was bright enough to know not to expect something like that from her introverted teammate.

"Cheer up, Ugly. No guy would ever fall for a girl wearing that kind of expression." Sakura's eyes widened in fury, and she shouted,

"Why I oughta-" The bushes rustled, and a beaten and battered pair of idiots emerged.

"Sakura-chan, could you heal us?" whined Naruto.

"Alright, fine." Sakura finished healing Naruto, not embarrassed at all. However, Sasuke was another matter. She'd never once seen him as a brotherly figure. He was either the object of her affection or her greatest enemy. Sakura knew now that there could never be an in-between in their relationship. She healed Sasuke, suppressing a blush all the while, attempting to keep her thoughts professional. When she finished, she turned and walked back to her apartment.

_Dear Diary,_

_ Life is starting to go downhill for everybody except Naruto, Hinata, Neji, and TenTen. I heard a few days ago that Shikamaru was in the hospital because of a mission, and Temari's been a wreck. Well, I can assume that from her letters from Suna. Gaara I haven't heard anything from, and I'm glad because of it. Sasuke has ignored me all day after chasing after me yesterday, attempting to make me listen to his apology. This is SO confusing, Diary. I don't know what to do anymore._

_ Will I end up single for the rest of my life? Will Ino and I be unmarried spinsters doomed to watch romantic dramas and comedies while eating ice cream for the rest of our lives? Will I be surrounded by adorable cats while I'm knitting my nonexistent grandchild a pair of mittens? If so, tell me now so I can run far away from Konoha. _

With that written, Sakura closed her diary, placing it in its usual home in her top desk drawer. Deciding that something needed to be done about Sai and Ino, she dialed Ino's phone number. The dial tone rang in her ear, and finally, Ino picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Ino. Can I talk to you about Sai?" Ino giggled on the other end before replying.

"He's already here, silly."

"Alright then. Tomorrow we'll go to lunch and we'll talk about this. ALL OF IT," Sakura told her excitedly.

"Sounds good to-" Ino giggled again and Sakura heard a click. That was Sai hanging up on her! Sakura sighed happily. Well, maybe things were only going downhill for her at the moment. But she'd make it through. She'd managed to do it somehow for the past seventeen years of her life, otherwise known as the entirety of her life. Then the phone rang. Sakura blinked. This was odd. She went to answer it, picking it up.

"Yes?"

"Sakura! Get to my office immediately. You and your team are about to be briefed for a mission," Tsunade's voice informed her harshly. Sakura scowled. Just when she had been feeling optimistic, a mission popped up out of nowhere to ruin the feeling.

"Hai, Tsunade-shishou!" exclaimed Sakura in an enthusiastic voice, although the feeling she had was far from it. She hung up and packed a bag for the mission, whatever it was. She wasn't looking forward to spending time with her teammates. Especially the one that had ignored her all day.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I was up visiting my Grandma, where there's no internet. I wasn't able to write anything 'cause I didn't bring my computer...well, here's the latest chapter :)

**5**

"She's got the look! What in the world can make a brown-eyed girl turn blue? When everything I'll ever do I'll do for you! And I go, 'la, la, la, la, la.' She's got the look!" sang Naruto and Sakura, listening to Sakura's ipod which was blasting for both of her emo-looking, emotionless teammates to hear. Sai was bobbing his head along with the beat of the song while Sasuke was inwardly fuming. While Naruto and Sakura knew the signs of Sasuke's apparent irritation, Sai was completely oblivious to it. However, they continued to sing just for the heck of it.

"Will you two stop?" seethed Sasuke.

"But I like this song!" whined Naruto before singing again, "oh, she's got the look!" Sai approached Sasuke, telling him,

"You think this is bad? Go clubbing with them. You'll never be the same." Sasuke quirked an eyebrow, glancing back at his teammates.

"Hn," he grunted, translating to, "whatever do you mean by that?" Sai, also being an outwardly-impassive, black-haired, pale-skinned male understood.

"They get stone drunk. Naruto will start making out with Hinata, and then he and Sakura start singing cheesy seventies and eighties songs. Sakura mostly sings songs about being single and about how she's a wild partier. And that she is," explained Sai.

"Hn."

"You gotta give him more than that!" hollered Naruto, looking over at Sakura's music. "Choose that one, Sakura-chan. I like singing along with it." Sakura's eyes glinted evilly when she saw Sasuke looking back at them. His eyes narrowed, which, in Sasuke language meant he was cowering in fear. She perceived it to be so, anyway. Then Naruto and Sakura began to sing.

"Oh, I'm a Gummy Bear. Yes, I'm a Gummy Bear! Oh, I'm a yummy, chummy, funny, lucky Gummy Bear. Don't call me jelly bear, 'cause I'm a Gummy Bear. Oh, I'm a movin', groovin', jammin', singin', Gummy Bear!" Sasuke cringed at the sound of the song; no, scratch that; it was his _teammates _singing it that disturbed him, if anything.

"Hn," he half-grunted, half-growled, translating to, "If you two don't quit singing _that_, I will whip out my Kusanagi and you will both scream for your mothers." He took heed that neither of his teammates perceived the true meaning of his single syllable. _There will come a day…when the two of them realize that I ripped their beloved, shared stuffed panda…and they will cry_. _I just have to pull it off soon. _Satisfied with the thought of them bawling like toddlers over a ripped panda bear that they traded off every weekend much like divorced parents do with a child, Sasuke nearly, keyword _nearly, _smiled. However, he didn't, because he's too…_Sasuke _to smile.

"Hey, U-CHI-HAAAAAAAAA!" rapped Naruto and Sakura, "Sharingan in the eye! U-CHI-HAAAAA! U-CHI-HA! Sharingan in the eye! Picture yourself as a ninja, leapin' rooftops pillagin', dashin' through villages to settle vendettas, as you lose comrades in battle causin' you to dismantle-" Sasuke took the ipod from their hands, scrolling through Sakura's music furiously, eyes lit with the Sharingan. They could _not _sing _his _song, made just for him by Eddie Rath himself, besides, "My Name is Sasuke." No, it was time to destroy them _both_. He smirked, and hit play. The speakers blasted the song, and his teammates' eyes watered. The Panda Song by the Nerima Daikon Brothers began to play.

"PANDA!" wailed the pair, hugging. It was then that Sasuke's anger only intensified when Naruto took Sakura into his arms. A person cleared their throat. They turned. There at the gate to Konoha stood their charge: An elaborately-dressed Prince who needed to be escorted to the Land of Tea. The four bowed in respect, Sasuke passing the ipod back to Sakura with a smug look on his face when she received it while they were in a bowing position.

They stood straight, looking at the Prince again expectantly.

"Will you four…_peasants _lead me out of this dump?" he inquired disinterestedly.

"Yes, your highness," smiled Sakura, a vein throbbing in her forehead as she forced herself to keep smiling. _Oh, Tsunade will rue the day, _she vowed to herself. Naruto, however, was clearly struggling to keep his anger in check. The Prince remained oblivious to their efforts _not _to kill him before they reached their destination. In fact, any unwelcome visitors would have no problems dispatching the Prince if he didn't start paying them more respect. Well, that was Sakura's fantasy. However, she knew that their profession came before their feelings towards it.

They left the village, silent as they began their journey. Sakura was determined to break the silence before their newly-found comfort around one another dissipated into mere awkwardness.

"So, I wonder if we'll see Idate again," Sakura wondered aloud. Naruto smiled at the memory, while Sasuke's eye twitched. Sai blinked, confused.

"Who's Idate?" he asked her, walking up next to her while Naruto and Sasuke walked behind the pair. Sakura checked to make sure her other two male teammates and the bratty Prince, in the middle of the formation, were out of earshot when she said.

"He was a fast runner. We helped him win a race to help his village. On our first meeting, he called me beautiful. Naruto was not a happy camper."

"Sounds like it was fun," lamented Sai.

"Sai, you're a part of our team now. There'll be plenty of memories that you'll be with us in when we make them," Sakura assured him warmly.

"What are you two cretins speaking of?" the Prince asked them. Sakura looked him over again. He was pudgy with his hair greased back, acne dotting his face. He wasn't the fairytale Prince that Sakura liked to imagine, but he was a Prince. A barely-passable Prince with no common decency or manners of the sort. When they made camp in the evening, Sakura took out her diary, eager to write while Naruto collected firewood, Sasuke set up the campsite, Sai set up candles to ward off pests, and the Prince sat on a rock examining his _perfectly_-manicured nails.

_Dear Diary,_

_ I AM STUCK ON A SUICIDE MISSION. Naruto, Sasuke, Sai and I had a lot of fun by the village gates…more like Naruto and I were annoying the hell out of everybody, but still, it was fun. We sang a bunch of songs and then Sasuke played the freakin' Panda Song! That's so unfair! Wait…I'm saying Sasuke instead of HIM now! I've gotta revert to the practice. Okay, so the Prince is a brat who had to stop every three minutes to do something or another, and he was staring at my ass the whole time we were traveling. Ugh…pervert. _

_ Now HE's (I almost wrote his name…AGAIN) setting up the campsite and did I mention that his muscles are flexing- NO I WILL NOT RANT ABOUT HIS UGLINESS. HE IS NOT PRETTIFUL LIKE MY UNICORN COLLECTION THAT I HIDE UNDER MY BED. Maybe this is why I'm still single…oh well. Sai's been perfectly amiable the whole time we've been on the trip, and Naruto hasn't pissed me off…yet. Sasuke hasn't given me one of those condescending looks or, "Hns," he loves so much. NO I'M SAYING HIS NAME AGAIN! Anyway, I'm gonna get going now. Sayonara, sucker! Just kidding, I love you, Diary. You're still the only man in my life 3_

Sakura closed the diary, sighing contentedly as she put it away in her bag. Only a few more days to go…that's when the Prince decided to wreck her train of optimistic thoughts by sidling up to her and saying,

"How's it going, beautiful?" Sakura gawked at him. "Attracted to my masculine air, Saku-chan?" he purred. Sakura was on the verge of vomiting.

"Excuse me," she winced. She ran off into the bushes. Sasuke noticed the exchange, puzzled, before his eyes landed on the Prince's dreamy expression as he stared at the spot Sakura had been sitting on, probably fantasizing about her butt. Sasuke began to go on an inner rampage, watching the new, red tinge on the Prince's cheeks as he continued to stare at where Sakura had been sitting. Sasuke walked over to the Prince, the tents completed.

"Listen," he snapped. The Prince looked up, having snapped out of his stupor.

"Yes?"

"You touch or continue to eye my teammate like that and make her feel uncomfortable in any way, and I will see to it that this-" he gestured to his sword at his side, "is shoved down your throat. Do I make myself clear?" The Prince nodded energetically, eyeing the sword at Sasuke's waist. A drop of sweat slid down the Prince's face. Sasuke smirked.

"I'm glad we have an understanding." With that said, Sasuke left the fifteen-year old, hormone-crazed boy alone, a small smirk adorning his face. The Prince didn't stand a chance in the battle for Sakura's heart.

Sai found Sakura in the forest, rocking back and forth, trying to ease herself into a state of calm.

"You don't look so good," he observed aloud.

"No shit, Sherlock," she growled. Sai sighed. (IT RHYMES!)

"No need to use such vulgar language. Why don't you come with me back to the camp? I'm sure Sasuke's worrying about you."

"Sasuke? Worry? Please," she laughed bitterly. Sai held up her diary, smiling one of those smiles she wanted to kill him for wearing.

"I read this. I never knew you had such wit." Sakura blanched.

"That's private property! You can't just go through my things and read my freakin' diary!" she yelled, attempting to snatch it back from him. She succeeded, hitting him in the head with the diary a moment later, before sitting down again, proceeding to continue rocking back and forth.

"You still love him, don't you?" Sai mumbled.

Sasuke was shocked by the turn in their conversation. Once Naruto had returned to camp, he'd set out to look for their other two teammates. He wasn't expecting to find them in such a situation. Sakura looked so fragile as she realized the magnitude of the question Sai had asked her. He waited for her response, waited so eagerly, so diligently. He was on the edge of his seat. He _needed _to know whether she would return his feelings or not.

"I wish I didn't, but I do," Sakura admitted to Sai, "and it's killing me because I know that he'll never accept me that way." Tears brimmed in her eyes. "I've tried to forget, but my thoughts are like a circle. Just when I think I've escaped him, I remember him in more vivid detail than ever." She began to weep, and Sai embraced her as a brother would a sister.

"Don't worry about it," he advised her, "Everything will reveal itself in time. You never know. Sasuke might end up having feelings for you in the end."

"The end? As in, I'm an old lady kind of end?"

"You're determined to think you'll be a crazy, single cat lady, aren't you?" chuckled Sai.

"I'm trying to accept reality," Sakura told him, "that's how I'll cope."

"Why don't you keep getting drunk with us when we're old people? We'll yell at youngsters for goin' on our property while we're sitting on the porch of a retirement home. We'll all play bingo together," suggested Sai, "how's that sound? And you can have a few cats."

"Sounds good to me," laughed Sakura, wiping her tears away as Sai withdrew from her arms.

"Good," replied Sai.

Sasuke retreated to the campsite, shocked by all that he'd seen and heard. Sakura still loved him. He still had a shot.


End file.
